Castamar Restaurant

"At the recently opened Castamar in New York City’s West Village, the menu lists nearly every ingredient in each dish. The rosemary butter roasted chicken, for example, is described with 'parmesan polenta, sauteed wild mushrooms, grilled eggplant, parmesan crisp, summer truffle jus.' Brian Pancir, Castamar’s executive chef, remembers working for years at Jean-Georges during the early 2000s. Then, he says, the menus were more detailed than the menus of the 2010s. 'People knew exactly what they were going to eat.' With Castamar’s fuller descriptions, Pancir believes that more menu details can give guests a fuller understanding of the food with less communication from servers. 'People want to have all the information they can about what they are eating. There are more food allergies and dietary restrictions out there,' he says. He also believes restaurants are facing a generational shift in the way we inform consumers. Members of Gen Z, Pancir says, tend to be keen on more information and details about everything they eat. 'They are usually more food-savvy and have clear ideas of what they want.'" - Rafael Tonon